New Samsung patent reveals dual-folding successor to Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung may be exploring new ways to rethink its current foldable lines. A new patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) suggests that the tech giant is considering building a phone that folds twice.

According to LetsGoDigital, which spotted the patent document, the dual-folding smartphone will have two hinges and three screens that can fold into a smaller form factor with a Z-shape. When unfolded, the screen size is similar to that of a small tablet, which implies that it can have a larger screen than the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Part of the multi-fold display appears to serve as the primary display, housing an in-display fingerprint sensor. The patent document also reveals how the internal components of the phone are organized on the three parts, with the batteries and circuit boards housed inside the front and rear folding parts. This means that the midsection is devoid of any internal elements.

Other interesting details that we can glimpse in the patent sketch include a rear triple camera setup, a USB-C connector, an SD card slot and an HDMI port.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a dual-hinge phone concept from Samsung. Earlier this year, the South Korean tech giant was spotted working on a foldable double-hinged smartphone in a bid to increase screen area. The phone was supposed to release later this year, but that doesn’t appear to be the case as 2022 approaches.

In addition, a similar patent surfaced in 2019 ahead of the release of the first generation of Samsung’s best foldable phones. The most recent patent was filed in June and WIPO just published it a few days ago. However, there is no guarantee that it will make a final product as patents rarely become real devices.